Browsing: Congress

[HTML1] Arkansas Republican Congressman Tom Cotton got his “Full Metal Jacket” on by having his drill sergeant endorse him in an ad for his Senate campaign. Cotton, who served as an Army infantry officer in Iraq and Afghanistan, is expected to be the Republican candidate who will run for the U.S. Senate in November’s midterm elections against the incumbent, Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor. In a March interview with NBC News, Pryor criticized Cotton for using his military record as part of his campaign. “I think that it’s part of this sense of entitlement that he gives off, that almost is…

Seven initiatives are on the table in Congress to improve GI Bill benefits, especially for family members. What’s in store? Read more. While the GI Bill might get beefed up, Special Duty Assignment Pay is not. Thousands of enlisted soldiers will have their SDAP reduced or eliminated under a budget-driven overhaul of the SDAP program. Good news is still out there for soldiers looking to save their careers during the drawdown by switching to an understrength MOS. See the list of hot MOSs, and the latest on bonuses for critical skills, in the print issue.

Welcome to the garrison Army. Some soldiers at major installations across the Army might have already encountered courtesy patrols, teams of soldiers who roam Army posts making on-the-spot corrections. Some posts are even targeting family members for dress code violations. And the Army’s top enlisted soldier is weighing in on the courtesy patrols. The Army is assessing performance on another field, the public schools near its installations. The chief of staff of the Army, Gen. Ray Odierno, says the Army will “put pressure” on officials responsible for providing education to the children of Army families. One person resisting pressure from lawmakers…

Our top story today finds out who are the most decorated combat heroes from the post 9/11 era. Army, Navy and Air Force service members make our list of the top 10, but not Marines. Experts say that is because the Marines have tougher standards for awarding combat valor medals than other services. Find out more about this new generation of combat heroes in the Sept. 16 issue of the Army Times and leave your thoughts and comments below. In tough news for service members, President Obama is asking for a 1 percent pay raise for service members on…

Congress is taking a vacation next week — on the eve of what’s been called the biggest potential fiscal disaster to hit the nation in decades, when massive, across-the-board budget cuts begin wreaking havoc on the Pentagon and all other federal agencies. Talk about whistling past the graveyard. The sequestration ax adds big drama to this particular hiatus. But it’s hardly unusual for House and Senate lawmakers; the congressional work schedule has withered on the vine for years. At this writing, there have been 32 regular “workdays” so far this year — Monday through Friday, federal holidays excluded. The House…

Stephen Colbert has always taken time to cheer up and support the troops, even traveling to Baghdad, donning a universal camouflage pattern suit and declaring victory in the Iraq War in 2009. And last week he did it again, only this time he had some very pointed criticism for those in Congress who have supported cutting Tricare benefits for veterans as a way of reducing America’s debt burden. During his regular segment “The Word,” Colbert called on the nation’s “1 percent” to sacrifice more for the good of the country. “Everybody’s talking about it,” Colbert said. “There is a tiny…

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md., at a Thursday hearing on Soldier and Marine Equipment for Dismounted Operations, voiced his concern about the amount of weight soldiers are required to carry. And his concern certainly is justified. Nearing the end of the meeting, Bartlett warned military leaders against “getting in a rut.” His warning started with a very strong example of supplies in the South Pole, then took an somewhat unexpected turn … “As a senior member of the Science Committee I’ve now been twice to the South Pole,” Bartlett said. “I just want to use this as an example of how…

It’s no secret that military programs are under close scrutiny as spending is cut. The inevitable power struggle has left a presidential budget seeking one thing, think-tanks and pundits demanding something else, winded lobbyists arguing their cases and Congress adding to the quagmire. So who has final say as to what military programs are a “go” or “no go?” When a panel testifying before the House Armed Services Committee said that power resides with the president, Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md., did something unheard of. At a House Armed Services Subcommittee hearing Thursday, he pulled out the Constitution. Here’s what he…

Photo by Lance Cpl. Clifton D. Sams The Military Leadership Diversity Commission, a commission established to study diversity among military leaders, today recommended the Pentagon remove the combat exclusion policy and allow women to serve in ground combat units. This is one of 20 recommendations contained in its report, “From Representation to Inclusion: Diversity Leadership for the 21st Century Military.” (PDF) Thoughts?